SSAT Middle Level Math : How to find the area of a triangle

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Plane Geometry

A right triangle has legs 90 centimeters and 16 centimeters, What is its area?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1,440 \; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 720 \; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 4,050 \; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 405\; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 256 \; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 720 \; \textrm{cm}^{2}\)

Explanation:

The legs of a right triangle are its base and height, so use the area formula for a triangle with these dimension. Setting \(\displaystyle b=16,h=90\):

\(\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2} bh = \frac{1}{2} \cdot 16 \cdot 90= 720\)

Example Question #2 : Plane Geometry

A triangle has base 18 inches and height 14 inches. What is its area?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 126 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 252 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 162 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 196 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 98 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 126 \; \textrm{in}^{2}\)

Explanation:

Use the area formula for a triangle, setting \(\displaystyle b=18,h=14\):

\(\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2} bh = \frac{1}{2} \cdot 18 \cdot14 = 126\)

Example Question #3 : Plane Geometry

Triangle

What is the area of the above triangle?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 300\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 112\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 56\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 84\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 168\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 84\textrm{ in}^{2}\)

Explanation:

The two legs of a right triangle can serve as its base and its height. The area of the triangle is half the product of the two:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \cdot 7 \cdot 24 = 84\)

That is, the area is 84 square inches.

Example Question #4 : Plane Geometry

Triangle

 

What is the area of the above triangle?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 3,000\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 325\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 300\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 3,250\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 6,000\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 3,000\textrm{ mm}^{2}\)

Explanation:

The two legs of a right triangle can serve as its base and its height. The area of the triangle is half the product of the two:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \cdot 50 \cdot 120 = 3,000\)

That is, the area is 3,000 square millimeters.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Area Of A Triangle

Triangle

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

The above triangle has an area of 450 square centimers. \(\displaystyle x = 20 \textrm{ cm}\). What is \(\displaystyle y\) ?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle y = 37.5\textrm{ cm}\)

\(\displaystyle y = 45\textrm{ cm}\)

\(\displaystyle y = 60\textrm{ cm}\)

\(\displaystyle y = 22.5 \textrm{ cm}\)

\(\displaystyle y = 30\textrm{ cm}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle y = 45\textrm{ cm}\)

Explanation:

The area of a triangle is one half the product of its base and its height - in the above diagram, that means

\(\displaystyle A = \frac{1}{2}xy\).

Substitute \(\displaystyle A = 450, x = 20\), and solve for \(\displaystyle y\) :

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \cdot 20 \cdot y = 450\)

\(\displaystyle 10 \cdot y = 450\)

\(\displaystyle 10 \cdot y \div 10 = 450 \div 10\)

\(\displaystyle y = 45 \textrm{ cm}\)

Example Question #3 : How To Find The Area Of A Triangle

Q7

Find the area of the triangle.

Note: Figure not drawn to scale.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 60\: in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 120\: in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 24\: in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 48\: in^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 60\: in^{2}\)

Explanation:

To find the area of a triangle, multiply the base of the triangle by the height and then divide by two.

\(\displaystyle 10*12=120\) 

\(\displaystyle 120/2=60\)

 

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Area Of A Triangle

Square

The quadrilateral in the above diagram is a square. What percent of it is white?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 20 \%\)

\(\displaystyle 14 \frac{1}{16} \%\)

\(\displaystyle 17 \frac{1}{2} \%\)

\(\displaystyle 28 \frac{1}{8} \%\)

\(\displaystyle 16 \frac{1}{4} \%\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 14 \frac{1}{16} \%\)

Explanation:

The area of the entire square is the square of the length of a side, or

\(\displaystyle 80 \times 80 = 6,400\).

The area of the white right triangle is half the product of its legs, or

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \times 30 \times 60 = 900\).

Therefore, the area of that triangle is 

\(\displaystyle \frac{900 }{6,400} \times 100 = 14 \frac{1}{16} \%\)

of that of the entire square.

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Area Of A Triangle

Yard_2

Mr. Jones owns the isosceles-triangle-shaped parcel of land seen in the above diagram. He sells the parcel represented in red to his brother. What is the area of the land he retains?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 7,616\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 18,816\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 15,232\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 4,032\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 11,200\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 7,616\textrm{ m}^{2}\)

Explanation:

The area of a triangle is half the product of its base and its height, so Mr. Jones's parcel originally had area 

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \times 140 \times 160 = 11,200\) square meters.

The portion he sold his brother, represented by the red right triangle, has area

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \times 56 \times 128 = 3,584\) square meters.

Therefore, the area of the parcel Mr. Jones retained is 

\(\displaystyle 11,200 -3,584= 7,616\) square meters.

Example Question #3 : Area Of A Triangle

Please use the following shape for the question. 5x3-adams-graphoc

What is the area of this shape?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 32.5\ in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 15\ in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 40\ in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 25\ in^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 21\ in^{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 32.5\ in^{2}\)

Explanation:

From this shape we are able to see that we have a square and a triangle, so lets split it into the two shapes to solve the problem. We know we have a square based on the 90 degree angles placed in the four corners of our quadrilateral. 

Since we know the first part of our shape is a square, to find the area of the square we just need to take the length and multiply it by the width. Squares have equilateral sides so we just take 5 times 5, which gives us 25 inches squared.

We now know the area of the square portion of our shape. Next we need to find the area of our right triangle. Since we know that the shape below the triangle is square, we are able to know the base of the triangle as being 5 inches, because that base is a part of the square's side. 

To find the area of the triangle we must take the base, which in this case is 5 inches, and multipy it by the height, then divide by 2. The height is 3 inches, so 5 times 3 is 15. Then, 15 divided by 2 is 7.5. 

We now know both the area of the square and the triangle portions of our shape. The square is 25 inches squared and the triangle is 7.5 inches squared. All that is remaining is to added the areas to find the total area. Doing this gives us 32.5 inches squared. 

Example Question #1811 : Hspt Mathematics

What is the area of the triangle?

Question_11

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \small 35\)

\(\displaystyle \small 42\)

\(\displaystyle \small 84\)

\(\displaystyle \small 70\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \small 35\)

Explanation:

Area of a triangle can be determined using the equation:

\(\displaystyle \small A=\frac{1}{2}bh\)

\(\displaystyle \small A=\frac{1}{2}(14)(5)=35\)

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